(2003) February 14 and 15  Maida on Maida in the Universe – Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, Washington, DC.  Premiere: One-woman show created and performed by Maida Withers with live music for trombone by New York/West Virginia  composer/musician Cam Miller.  In Maida on Maida in the Universe, Withers’ life and artistic work parallel current scientific ideas and theories of the origin and fate/demise of the universe with open, sometimes entertaining, curiosity.

Who hasn’t dreamed of traveling into outer space and experiencing the wonders of our universe?  In Maida on Maida in the Universe, Withers travels with us through her “universe” – her artistic history that includes more than 30 years of cutting-edge dance and performance art.  Withers juxtaposes her life’s work as an artist with theories of the origin and demise of the universe, using images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to explore intersections between art, science and technology. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/

A large-scale installation of screens display a collection of photographs and video of diverse dances accompanied, frequently, by “stream of-consciousness thoughts” typed on a computer, in real time, by Withers at a desk on stage and projected during the performance.  Meanwhile, Withers engages in an ongoing spontaneous verbal dialogue with the audience.  Maida on Maida in the Universe introduces those, unfamiliar with her work,  to a diverse, sometimes controversial, entertaining, bold and off-beat body of work.  Maida on Maida in the Universe is an interactive performance that engages imagination beyond the boundaries of our planet and into our future in the universe.

Cam Miller, composer/musician, created and performs music “live” for trombone combined with an electronic composition . The haunting, tonal register, of the Trombone, as the voice of the universe, and NASA’s astonishing visuals create an unusual and engaging environment for dance.

“As a child, sometimes at night, I would sit, alone, on the wooden fence at the top of our ski hill, above the “Salem Pond,” and  ponder creation stories from science related to the universe, extreme stories from religion, and stories imagined.” (Maida Rust Withers)

Promotion Card:  Maida on Maida in the Universe

Photo Below:  Adam Peiperl, promotion card, Maida on Maida in the UniversePhoto Below: Adam Peiperl Montag – Maida Withers, NASA imagesPhoto Below: Adam Peiperl     Figure:  Maida Withers

Projected Film Installation – excerpts from a selection of Maida Withers choreography projected onto stretched fabric screens on stage for Maida on Maida in the Universe

Photos Below:  Maida on Maida in the Universe – performance

NATURE’S WAY: The week of the performance, Washington, DC experienced an  extreme ice storm.  Thick layers of ice covered all sidewalks and roads.  Driving was not an option for any patrons.  Consequently, If you could not travel on the subway, you would not be able to attend the  performance in downtown Washington, DC. The city was at a complete standstill.

What the press is saying

...in its 30th year, a remarkable achievement for the rather low-profile group that has fearlessly tackled political and societal issues, incorporated laser and computer technology and brought modern dance to underserved corners of the world." Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post. Sarah Kaufman

"Withers presents Maida on Maida in the Universe. The show features an installation of screens that mix images from Withers' extensive body of work with pictures from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope--juxtaposing the larger universe with her own. The 30-plus-year dance veteran is known for playing with relationships between art, science, nature, and man--maybe she's just so avant-garde that it simply appears she can predict the future. Or perhaps she really does possess a morbid clairvoyance--the dance world's own Nostradamus." Sarah Godfrey, Washington City Paper